


Don't Panic

by shipskicksandgiggles



Series: tumblr prompts [39]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Character Death, Nightmares, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29125620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipskicksandgiggles/pseuds/shipskicksandgiggles
Summary: Peter used to have nightmares, but they've gotten better since he moved.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: tumblr prompts [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566982
Kudos: 27





	Don't Panic

**Author's Note:**

> so fun fact: apparently I write Tony like my dad once in a great while. I'm noticing a pattern here  
> prompt: "dad"

Peter had his share of nightmares after his parents died. Child psychologists said it was the trauma and that eventually he’d grow out of them. 

Then Ben died, and he was lost again.

Moving in with Tony helped. He had a father figure again. 

It was finally all behind him. He could move on. 

The dead couldn’t just ring the doorbell. 

Except for, you know, when they did.

  
Peter was alone in his apartment when the sound of a doorbell went off. JARVIS could have just announced who it was. Why didn’t he?

He frowned, but got up and went to the door. The man behind it looked, well, a lot like him. 

“Dad?”

“Hey Jellybean.”

Peter wanted to break down crying. This wasn’t possible. Richard Parker died 15 years ago there was no way-

“You’re not real.”

“Of course I’m real, bud.” He took a step into the living room. “You just have to let me in.”

“No, wait-” Peter tried to shut the door, but to no avail. “You’re not real, you’re dead. Leave me alone!”

“C’mon now Jellybean, that’s no way to treat your old man.” 

Peter flinched as whatever it was reached out for him. He started running as fast as he could, but he was barely managing to outdistance the man. “JARVIS!” he yelled. “Tony! Anyone!” Why was nobody answering? His bedroom door slammed behind him, and he collapsed on the floor crying. “Dad,” he heard himself sob. “Dad, stop!”

The door flew open. “Hey, kiddo-” he scrambled away from the voice as fast as he could. “Woah, hey it’s just me. Look at me.”

He opened his eyes slowly to see Tony looking at him with a concerned look on his face. “What’s- where’s-”

“JARVIS woke me up. Said you were screaming and that it might be a nightmare. Are you okay?”

Peter felt himself shaking. “N-no.”

“Wanna tell me what that was about?”

“I-” He took a deep breath- “I was here. Like in this room. I was minding my own business and the doorbell rang. It was-” his voice broke.

“Who was it, kiddo?” Tony asked softly. 

“It was my dad.” A sob wracked his body. “He called me ‘Jellybean’ and tried to convince me it was him but I knew it wasn’t and-”

“Shhh. Breathe _bambino._ I’m right here. He wasn’t real.”

Peter sucked in a few more breaths, which made him feel a little better. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

“Nothing to thank me for, kid. You probably don’t want to go back to sleep though, huh?”

He shook his head no. 

“Well, I’m going to let you in on a family secret,” he winked. “Now, when I used to have nightmares about my pops, Jarvis would pull out one of my favorite books and read to me for as long as it took me to fall asleep. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds really good,” Peter said. “What’re you gonna read?”

“Hmm.” He seemed to consider the question very seriously. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” 

Peter leaned back against his pillows and waited. Tony was back in minutes with a book in his hand. “Have you read _the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?”_

“I don’t think so.”

“Well I’ll have you know this is one of my favorites from when I was your age. Now come here and cuddle close.” He motioned for Peter to lean into his side, and he cleared his throat. He opened up to the first page and smiled. 

“'Don’t panic.'”

**Author's Note:**

> any and all prompts sent to my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/playboyphilanthro-pissed)


End file.
